‘She’s Battling a Bit of a Mental Issue’ – Coco Gauff Leaves Andy Roddick Worried With Her Recent Run of Form

I want to become a more aggressive server,” said Coco Gauff. So, who did she go to for guidance in the offseason? One of the greatest servers our sport has seen: Andy Roddick. After Roddick “simplified Coco’s motion, abbreviated a little bit,” per Brad Gilbert, she came to the Australian Open and showcased it from the get-go. It looked like her second serve had improved, too – 26 double faults in 6 matches. But as the season has progressed, that’s changed. And Roddick couldn’t help but address it.

As the calendar heads into the second Grand Slam, Gauff failed to achieve her goal before playing in the French Open. She wanted to win a tournament on clay, having last won a title on the surface at the 2021 Emilia Romagna Open. The thing is, this year has been primarily about Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, and Elena Rybakina. The ‘Big 3’ have left Gauff behind a little, partly due to her inconsistent serving. Discussing this on the Served with Any Roddick podcast, the legend mentioned her Rome Masters run.

Having made it to the semifinals after a tough but impressive run, Gauff went up against Swiatek, losing 6-4, 6-3. While the score may not suggest how well the 20-year-old played, Roddick sure appreciated her performance. But he also felt like something was missing. “Coco had a great semi in Rome. But you’re kinda searching for something a little bit,” he said on the podcast. Elaborating, he added, “[She] hit the forehand as well as I have seen her hit it, [but the] serve is still a bit… her first serve is actually a lot better in Rome. Second serve is still, you know, she is battling it.”